CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers made life tough for quarterback Matthew Stafford and his offensive teammates six weeks ago, when the Los Angeles Rams visited Bank of America Stadium for a regular-season matchup.
Stafford came into Charlotte on a roll, having thrown 18 touchdowns in the Rams’ previous five games, and he hadn’t been picked off since the third week. The double-digit underdog Panthers forced three turnovers, though, and upset the Rams, 31-28.
And that was with Carolina’s defense missing four of its regular starters.
All four, including two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn, have since returned and will play Saturday, when the Panthers (8-9) — who won the NFC South Division and are the conference’s No. 4 seed for the playoffs — host the fifth-seeded Rams (12-5) in a rematch for a spot in the divisional round.
Along with Horn, safety Tre’Von Moehrig and linebackers Claudin Cherelus and Christian Rozeboom are also set to play.
“It’s good to have everybody healthy this time around. He’s a great quarterback and has been playing at a high level for a very long time,” Horn said of 37-year-old Stafford, who was the No. 1 pick of the 2009 draft and played his first 12 NFL seasons for the Detroit Lions before being traded to the Rams in 2021 and leading them to a Super Bowl title his first season in Los Angeles.
“They have a lot of weapons, so we need everybody back,” Horn added. “We have to find a way to take the ball away and do what we did the last game.”
Stafford led the Rams to a touchdown on the game’s first series on Nov. 30 in Charlotte, but the Panthers picked him off on the next two drives, snapping his NFL record of 28 straight touchdown passes without an interception. Carolina also forced a fumble in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Stafford still found success against the Panthers, finishing the game 18-of-28 passing for 243 yards with two touchdowns.
And although the Panthers won the turnover margin 3-0, they still needed a big game from Bryce Young and a late touchdown to earn the win. Young threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns while posting a quarterback rating of 147.1, the second highest in franchise history.
Rams coach Sean McVay called it “a humbling day” for his team.
“The big point of emphasis was the three turnovers,” McVay said. “They didn’t have any. They had some key and critical third and fourth downs. I thought they were able to run the ball and control the clock. The possessions were limited, and so that was the big thing.
“You give them respect. They made the plays and did the things to be able to win the football game.”
Stafford, who led the league in touchdown passes and passing yards this season, making him a leading candidate to win his first NFL MVP award, is well aware the Panthers will be at full strength this time around.
And he isn’t taking them lightly.
He said Horn and Mike Jackson are “as good of a cornerback tandem as you will see in the league.”
“They have unique skill sets. They play to their strengths,” said Stafford, who recently received the third Pro Bowl selection of his career. “Their defense helps those guys play to their strength, and they are really good football players. As far as the back end goes, it’s about as good as we’ve seen all year, and it’ll be a good challenge for us.”
The Panthers also have the benefit of having a little insight on Stafford.
Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was a defensive assistant with the Rams when Stafford led them to the Super Bowl LVI title. Carolina players have said Ejiro’s inside knowledge helps in game planning.
“I think (Evero) did a really good job of just creating pressure and making No. 9 (Stafford) a little more uncomfortable, which allowed us to get turnovers,” Panthers safety Nick Scott said. “He’s always doing a great job of creating a clear game plan for us, so we always know what task is at hand. It’s up to us to execute it.”
So what does Stafford have to do Saturday to turn the tables on the Panthers?
“I’d like to not throw it to their team,” Stafford said. “I think that was the story of the game when you think about it. We moved the ball well in some areas. We scored a couple times in the red zone. We did some nice things, ran it well, and just had the turnovers.”